John Hensel Award

Each year, ACES presents the John Hensel Award to a member who has contributed greatly to the sports and entertainment industries in Michigan. This year, the award was presented to Ms. Tracy C. Thompson.

For the past 15 years, Tracy Thompson has been an active supporter of the community television experience. This is one of the most available forums for the public at large to make their viewpoints known and to actively voice their first amendment rights of free speech and expression.

As a member of the Cable Access Committee (now renamed), she represented the City of Farmington in a coalition of three cities, whose mission is to oversee the franchise agreement with the cable provider, as well as the operation of the cable studio and four channels of programming. The CAC’s responsibilities included the formulation of policies and procedures for the public usage of the cable studio and the cable casting of their programs.

She was also an active member of the production team for various government programs, such as “Lansing Connection”—featuring local representatives, “Election Coverage,” and the producer of “The Spirit of America—Now and Then,” a historical review of the Bill of Rights, which won the City of Farmington an award for political programming.

She has and is an active producer of her own shows, “Bagels & Talk,” covering social, legal, and other general topics, “My Russian Friend,” a cultural exchange program, and “Adventure with Pirate Pete,” a travel documentary. She was recognized for several of these productions, including a “Philo T. Farnsworth Award” and a “Telly” for “My Russian Friend,” and a “Telly” for “Natural Habitats,” a video about polar bears, gray whales, and seals.

She is a member of the Digital Arts Film Television Association whose goal is to promote student participation in grades 1–12 in the film/video fields. She has critiqued students’ works for contests and participated in seminars, teaching film/video techniques.

The reception was held at the Birmingham Community Center on October 24, 2008.

If you are interested in serving on the Hensel Award Committee or know of a Section member deserving of the award, please contact Committee Chair Liz DuMouchelle.